Cow-milker.



- Patented Oct. 28, I902.

E. A. NUGENT.

COW MILKEB. (Application filed Dec. s1, 1901.) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES Y INVENTOH Z'dgar.;.%gm2 3y A TTOHNEYS THE ricmms PETERS co. PHm'o-uTHu, WASHINGTON. 04 c.

no. 7l2,326. Patented Oct. 28, I902.-

E. A. NUGENT.

COW MILKER.

Application filed Dec. 31, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,'

WITNESSES: MlVENTOH 5 Z 2 Edgar ale/Faye? /1 A770 rs N0. 7|2,32'6. I I Patented 06f. 23,1902.

E. A. NUGENT.'

COW MILKER.

(Application filed De'c. 31, 1901.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets.$heet 3.

31!: NORRIS versus 90'. mgwuwa. WASHINGTON n. cy

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR A. NUGENT, OF UNIONVILLE, NEW YORK.

COW-M lLK-ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IEatent No. 712,326, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed December 31, 1901- 'Serial No. 87,891. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. NUGENT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Unionville, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oow-Milkers, of which the iollowing is a full, clear, and exact descrip- This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for milking cows; and the object is to provide a device for this purpose by means of which the milk ,will be delivered directly from the cow into bottles or the like held in an air-tight tray from which the air is exhausted, theair being also exhausted from the bottles, and, further, to provide means for sealing the bottles before removal from the tray, thus preventing the entrance of impurities from the air in a stable and preserving the milk for a greater length of time than is possible when air is contained in'the, bottles with the milk.

I will describe a cow-milker embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an air-ex hausting device embraced in the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a bottle and tray holding case employed. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the same, showing the bottles and tray in position. Fig. 4 is a plan View thereof with a portion of the tray-cover removed. Fig. 5 isa sectional view of a bottle-stopper employed, and Fig. dis a top view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a vacuum-cylinder having connection with a suction-pump 2 and from the upper portion of which a metal pipe 3 leads along the row of cow-stalls. At each stall a flexible tube 4 connects with the pipe 3, the said tube being provided with a cut-off valve 5.

A casing or rack 6 for holding the bottles and tray is designed to be supported by'the cow during milking, and thereforeit is provided with straps 7 8 for passing over the cows back. At opposite sides of its open top the casing or rack is provided with clampingleaves 9 10, designed to hold the tray-cover tightly in position, as will hereinafter appear. These leaves are held in clamping position by means of levers 11, mounted on the ends of the casing and having link connections 12 13 with the leaves 9 10. It will be noted that the links 12 connect with the levers 11 below their pivotal points, while the links 13 are connected above the said pivotal points. By this arrangement by swinging the levers in one direction the leaves will be simultaneously moved downward to clamping position. I have shown the casing as made in two sections that may be suitably secured together and closed at the bottom, sides, and ends; but it may be otherwise formed without departing from the spirit of my invention. Arranged in the casing is a partition 14, provided with openings to receive the body-portions of the bottles 15, while the bottoms of the bottles rest on the bottom of the casing. I have here shown a casing for holding eight bottles; but it may be-made to accommodate a greater or less number.

A tray 16 is supported by the bottles within the casing. This tray has openings in its bottom to receive the mouth portions of the bottles, and at each opening is a downwardlyextended and outwardly-flared annular flange 17 for engaging around the bottle-neck, a packing 18, of rubber or the like, being placed between the flange and neck to make the connection air-tight. The wall of the tray is flared outward to receive the inwardly-flared flange 19 of the tray-cover 20, and to prevent entrance of air a packing 21 is placed between the flanges.

At its central portion the cover 20 has a funnel-shaped inlet 22, in which is placed a strainer 23. This funnel is designed to receive the udder attachment or milker 24, consistin g of glass, hard rubber, or other suitable material and provided with openings 25 to receive the teats of the cow. A packing-ring 26 is placed between the funnel and milker 24. The cover is also provided with a nipple 27 to receive the end or coupling 28 of the tube 4. v v

The bottle-stoppers 29, consisting of rubber or other suitable material, are made tapering, so as to fit snugly in the bottles, and each stopper at its inner end is recessed or chambered,

as at 30, to allow a vacuum when in place and the bottle is filled. During the milking the stoppers are supported in the tray above the bottles, as indicated at the right-hand side of Fig. 3, and for this purpose each stopper has at opposite sides of its upper end inwardlyextended hook portions 31 to engage the crossbar 32 on the inner end of a suspending and placing rod 33, movable through an opening in the cover 20. When the rod 33 is moved down and the stopper inserted, the rod may be removed from engagement with the stopper by turning the rod to bring the cross-bar 32 in line with the space between the hook ends. The stopper is provided with a small perforation 34E, normally closed by a pin, but which must be drawn out to admit air when it is desired to remove the stopper from the bottle.

In operation the casing containing the bottles and tray is to he strapped to a cow and the teats placed in the openings 25. After exhausting the air from the tray and bottles by the means before described the milk will be forced by atmospheric pressure from the cows udder and pass through the strainer 23 into the tray and thence to the bottles. The tray-cover is to be held tightly closed by the parts 9 10, operated by the levers 11 and 12.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A cow-milker, comprising an air-tight tray having an opening to receive a bottleneck, and having an inlet in its top, an udder attachment designed to be seated in the inlet, and means for exhaust-ing air from the tray and bottle, substantially as specified.

2. A cow-milker, comprising an air-tight tray having openings in its bottom to receive bottle-necks, and an inlet in its top, a strainer in the inlet, an udder attachment adapted to fit in said inlet and having teat-receiving openings, a casing for receiving the tray and bottles, clamping devices on the casing, suspending-straps on the casing, and means for exhausting air from the tray and bottles, substantially as specified.

3. In a milker, a tray and a cover therefor,

the bottom of the tray having openings around which are downwardly-extended flanges, a f unnel-shaped inlet on the cover, an udder attachment for engaging in said inlet, stoppersupporting rods movable in openings in the cover, and means for exhausting air from the tray, substantially as specified.

4. In a milking device, a tray having an opening to receive the neck of a bottle, an udder attachment having communication with the tray, means for exhausting air from the tray, a bottle-stopper having a chamber in its lower end and inwardly-turned hook portions at its upper end, and a rod movable in the tray and having a portion for engaging with said hooks, substantially as specified.

5 A cow-milker comprising a casing, a partition in the casing and having openings to receive the body portions of bottles, a tray supported in the casing and having openings to receive the bottle-necks, a funnel-shaped inlet for the tray, the correspondingly-shaped udder attachment seated in the inlet, and means for exhausting air from the tray, substantially as specified.

6. A cow-milker comprising a casing, a partition in the casing having openings to receive bottles, supporting-straps on the casing, a tray consisting of upper and lower portions having flared engaging walls, the bottom of the lower portion having openings, flared flanges around the openings, packing-rings on said flanges, an udder attachment communicating with the tray, and means for exhausting air from the tray, substantially as specified.

7. In a milker, the udder attachment consisting of a single block of rigid material having a plurality of openings, and an air-tight tray having an inlet to receive said attachment, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR A. NUGENT.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE ELSTON, ELLA ELSTON. 

